7 Signs It’s Time to Switch to a Remote Workforce
Allowing employees to work remotely from home is a big step that many companies are hesitant to take. While many understand that mix of in-office and remote work will ultimately be good for business, this type of transition requires sufficient preparation both from employees and management. However, the flexibility, larger talent pool, and competitive advantage remote work allows is becoming more and more difficult to ignore. If you’ve been considering the idea but are not sure if your company is ready, check out these seven signs that it’s time to switch to a remote workforce.
1. Office space is limited.
Space is a common concern, especially for growing businesses. If your workforce is increasing and your office isn’t big enough to accommodate everyone, it might be a good idea to offer remote work. You can continue focusing on bringing in top talent without the added stress of where to put the extra desks.
2. Attract and retain top talent.
One of your best employees is moving. In the past, this meant the loss of a top talent for your company, and the expense of hiring and re-training their replacement. But with a remote work environment you can retain that worker and save company the loss of talent. You also have the opportunity to expand your hiring pool, so that you can hire the best employees no matter where they reside.
3. It’s all about the benefits.
Speaking of attracting and retaining talent, you might want to consider offering remote work as part of your benefits package. This can take the form of a flexible home/office schedule, or the possibility of a more extended, work-while-travelling situation. This is a bonus for you as well. Giving your employees the choice to work remotely can result in an increase in productivity and reduction in overall spending.
4. Take Advantage of a New Market.
You may want to expand business into an emerging market, but you don’t yet have the resources to set up a branch office. You also may not want to fully invest in a location, until your team can validate market demand. Instead of negotiating business deals from a distance, or repeatedly paying for business trips across the country or overseas, one or two employees working remotely can represent your business across time zones at minimal expense.
5. Most tasks can already be accomplished remotely.
One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to beefing up your remote workforce is that your employees won’t be able to complete their tasks without physically being in the office. This is a limited way of thinking that could be impacting the productivity of your workforce. No matter which industry you’re in, there are tasks that you can complete remotely—and in some cases, more efficiently—when done remotely.
6. Use your existing infrastructure.
Even more traditional infrastructure, such as a Windows domain network, can be tweaked and extended for use by remote workers. Features and server roles built into newer versions of Windows Server allow for newer technologies, such as Remote Desktop, Office 365, and Azure to be integrated into traditional domains. This allows you to be much more selective when extending certain company resources to remote worksites, without having to recreate your entire corporate infrastructure.
7. Your competitors are already doing it.
Your competitors are doing it; why aren’t you? Remember, you’re not only competing for customers and sales. You’re also competing for talented and loyal employees. Don’t let your best employees quit and move to a competitor simply because they offer a better work set-up.
Are you ready to switch to remote work? It’s easier than you think. With the help of IT professionals, you can transition effectively without affecting your operations. You and your employees can be enjoying the benefits of telecommuting in no time.
